| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Garif are a humanoid race from Final Fantasy XII, who live in tribes scattered all over the Bancour region of Ivalice.
Culture[]
The Garif are generally a peace-loving people, albeit physically very capable of fighting and hunting thanks to their muscular bodies, thick fur and incredible hearing and sense of smell. Instead, many Garif become herders, overlooking their livestock of creatures known as Nanna in the Garif language. The Garif milk these creatures in order to make the Nanna-cheese, which is famous throughout Ivalice. Some Garif even become Geomancers and trading-merchants. They do still have warriors, and even a War-chief, in order to defend themselves, should there ever be a need to do so. The current War-chief of the Jahara-tribe is called Supinelu, who succeeded his brother, Kadalu, as War-chief. In the game, the Geomancer also plays a key role in unlocking the area at Henne Mines where Zodiark is hidden.
The Garif have no interest in material goods or money, but choose to live in harmony with nature instead. Unlike the Humes to the north, the Garif see no use in machinery, and as such, choose not to utilize them. In fact, they abhor all manufactured things, with the exception of their masks. Instead, their material culture is based on the usage of wood and stone. Their houses are made of grass and strips of leather and they adorn themselves with animal bones and stones.
The masks worn by the Garif are a large part of their customs. All Garif receive a mask on the day they are born, which they wear until the day they die. It should be noted that the Great-chiefs of the Garif tribes wear masks that look rather different. However, it may simply be a standard mask of the Garif, who is to become Great-chief, that has been decorated to signify the importance of the Great-chief.
Some non-canonical fonts says that the Garif are very ugly-looking (their ears are also pointed).
Hierarchy[]
- Great-chief: Commands the tribe.
- High-chief: Is the sub-chief of the tribe and the sucessor of the Great-chief.
- Low-chief: Is the comissary.
- War-chief: Commands the army.
- Geomancer:
- Guard: Defends the tribe.
- Warrior: Defends and fights for the tribe.
- Nanna Farmer: Takes care of the Nanna flock.
- Hunter/Harvester: Gathers food to feed the tribe.
Clan Primer[]
Genus: Humanoid
Classification: Garif
Page 1: Observations[]
This race of large-framed, well-muscled humanoids have bodies covered in thick fur.
The Garif adorn themselves simply with ornaments of stone and bone, preferring natural objects over those crafted or otherwise unchanged from their original form. The one exception is their masks: each is unique, and is worn for the duration of the owner's life.
The Garif worship magicite as a sacred substance, and possess deep cultural knowledge of the stones.
Page 2: The Dragon's Game[]
Dragons.
The most feared of all creatures, yet, beyond mention in ancient tomes of their servitude to the gods in antiquity, little is known of the ecology and development of the great wyrms.
I have in my studies, come across a certain fable concerning a god and a dragon. The stone tablet upon which it was written was only recently discovered, and though there are surely some embellishments as might be found in any fable, I wonder with no little surprise at its simple elegance. Perhaps, I find myself thinking, this tale has the germ of truth in it.
- Lecluse, Exegete of Tales
Page 3: The Dragon's Game[]
In times now ancient, a Dragon was born, stronger than anything that had been before, and in time he thought himself superior to the God that had created him.
One day he said unto Him, "I am stronger than you, God."
"Very well," replied the smiling God, "then let us play a game, and we shall see which of us is the stronger."
So began the Dragon's game.
Page 4: The Dragon's Game[]
Dragon and God agreed to three tests to see who was the strongest.
"See yon mountain?" asked the God, "can you carry it here to me?"
"As easily as an ant might carry a blade of grass," the Dragon replied, and a moment later he had brought the mountain to the God's feet.
"Next," the Dragon said, "it is your turn."
"No," said the God, "I am not strong enough to move a mountain."
And so did the Dragon win the first test.
Page 5: The Dragon's Game[]
The next test was also one of strength.
"See there yon rock?" asked the God. "It is of the strongest stone in the world. Can you pierce it?"
"As easily as a sparrow might pierce an apple in search of the worm," the Dragon replied, and a moment later he had opened a gaping hole in the stone.
"Next," the Dragon said, "it is your turn."
"No," said the God, "I am not strong enough to pierce such a stone."
"And so did the Dragon win the second test.
Page 6: The Dragon's Game[]
And so they came to the final test.
"See there yon magickal ring?" asked the God. "Can you pass through it?"
"As easily as the ferret scampers through the warren-hole, in search of the hare," and a moment later, the Dragon's neck was through the ring.
Yet the ring was too narrow for the dragon to pass through entirely.
"You have tricked me," the Dragon said.
"I am cleverer than you," replied the smiling God.
Thus did the God win the final test, and thus did the Dragon become lesser than the God in all things.